2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke diesel gets 30 mpg and tows like a beast

Diesel engines are heating up in the full-size truck market and Ford is throwing its hat into the ring with the 2018 F-150 rocking a 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel. The newest powerplant will be mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and will return an EPA fuel rating of 22 miles per gallon city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.

However, as The Car Connection pointed out, those numbers are only for the rear-wheel drive model. A 4x4 F-150 diesel comes in at a much lower 20/25/22. The only other full-size diesel available for 2018 is the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel in the 2018 Ram 1500. That engine nets 20/27/23 in two-wheel drive or 19/27/22 with four-wheel drive.

While in the past consumers have had to resort to heavy-duty trucks -- think Nissan Titan XD, GMC Sierra HD or Ford's own Superduty models -- to get an oil burner, the F-150 Power Stroke marks the start of a slew of full-size diesel trucks coming to market. We'll see a 3.0-liter Duramax diesel in both the 2019 GMC Sierra 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Ram will continue to be in the mix with a refreshed EcoDiesel V6 in the 2019 Ram 1500.

The 2018 Ford F-150 Power Stroke will push out 250 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque, making it the torquiest of the 2018 full-size pick-ups on the market. The Ford also boasts a tow rating of 11,400 pounds and 2,000 pounds of payload capability.

However best-in-class these numbers may be, they represent a comparison of mostly non-diesel 2018 models. Once the 2019 model year diesel trucks from Ram and GM come online, those best-in brags might not ring true.